Quebec City a cold-weather wonderland

Friday

Feb 8, 2008 at 2:00 AM

By David Glidden Contributing Writer

Having once been charmed by its quaint beauty while traveling through Canada long ago, I found myself longing to return to Quebec City, especially when my oldest daughter wanted to check out a college in Maine. Thus the side trip to this ancient walled city on the St. Lawrence River.

So we drove across western Maine, passing frozen snowy lakes dotted with ice-fishing shacks. Crossing the border took about half an hour. Identification is required, but currently passports are not a necessity, although they may speed matters along if you have one.

Once we were underway, the road signs were all in French, the distances in kilometers. We passed under the arched stone gate on the Grand Allée of Quebec, arriving after dark as the city settled in for the night.

Quebec City, the oldest in Canada, is the capital of the province of Quebec was founded by the French explorer Champlain as a walled fort and trading post in 1608. Quebec was the scene of frequent battles between the British and the French during the French and Indian War in the mid 1700s. Those stormy times made the stone wall necessary.

We found our hotel, the Hotel du Vieux Quebec, on rue St. Jean. The polite young desk clerk instructed us to park our car in the underground lot half a block away. Since this was somewhat less than high-end, we were told of the exposed stone wall in lieu of a view from the room. We dumped our stuff, then headed out. We chose a bustling restaurant a couple of doors down, the Portofina Bistro Italiano.

One of the girls ordered the rather delicious thin-crusted pizza that’s commonly prepared here. There seemed to be a good offering of filet of sole as well as Prince Edward Island mussels.

After a good night’s rest, I eagerly searched the hotel for coffee. I was disappointed to find a fancy machine that made coffee and cocoa, but it had to be fed with coins.

Fortunately, we found a tiny café, and watched the people strolling to work.

It had snowed the previous evening so there were men up on the roofs sweeping off the snow so it wouldn’t avalanche down on pedestrians. We meandered the ancient cobbled ways and streets in medieval Centre Ville, a petite Paris. I gazed at an old stone arsenal for the French garrison. We ducked into the venerable Notre Dame basilica, the oldest Catholic parish north of Mexico, constructed in 1647.

As the temperature was about 22 degrees Fahrenheit, we walked briskly. There are many old cannons pointed out toward the St. Lawrence River, making for excellent photos. The whole walled-in city is about the size of the old Nantucket historic district.

Approaching the castle-like Chateau Frontenac, which has the most beautiful views of all the hotels in Quebec City, I imagined what it would be like to stay in a four-star hotel.

There’s a broad wooden promenade, the Terrasse Dufferin, pretty much devoid of tourists, as we were there a couple of weeks past the Winter Carnival, but there were still a few ice sculptures left. The views were tres fantastique as we were several hundred feet above the river.

Courtesy of Ministère du Tourisme

If you’re not in the mood to party, the quiet side streets offer shopping galore

The Citadel, an antiquated garrison constructed by the British from 1820-1850, is nearby. Like many modern-day armatures, it became obsolete shortly after being built, having never to exchange fire. There is a large park next to the old fort: The Plains of Abraham, which formerly was the preserved battlefield where English troops under General James Wolfe defeated French forces under the command of the Marquis de Montcalm in 1759.

The parc des Champs-de-Bataille has 11 kilometers of groomed cross-country trails that we skied on for a few glorious hours. There were many Quebecois out enjoying that rigorous exercise. Rentals cost the three of us about $25 U.S. We hiked to the top of a toboggan run, and after paying about $4, plummeted down at 40 mph.

On the way back to the hotel, we passed a good-sized outdoor skating rink. Just outside the wall at the Place d’Youville, dozens skated free to the tunes of French Canadian rock ’n’ roll. It was thrilling to skate on the skewed diamond shape, watching lovers on a date, Quebecois teenagers and the solitary figure skaters. There’s an old French Canadian treat offered: snow is laden in a wooden trough, pure maple syrup is drizzled onto the snow and twirled onto a stick. Delicious. After an hour, the call came to clear the ice for the Zamboni. The rink being about half the size of a regulation hockey rink, it took less time than we were accustomed to.

For those looking for a true escape from American news and culture, this is a true Franco infusion without a trip overseas. Turn on the television, it’s all in French. If you pick up a newspaper, you will need your French -English dictionary. There are no American fast food joints. What a treat.

After another night’s restful sleep due to all that exercise, we awoke refreshed, albeit a little achy. This day was a little more chilly, around 20 F. We ambled through Lower Town, Basse-Ville, where our eyes were constantly drawn up to the gabled slate roofs of the stone buildings nestled together. It’s also incredibly easy to duck into any of the craft shops and galleries, some with glass-blowers that you can watch perfect their craft.

The Musée de la Civilization was good choice on this cold day, one made even better because it was a Tuesday, and admission was free. There were lots of exhibits and videos describing Canada’s native indigenous population, the Inuit, along with displays containing various artifacts of the first French colony in North America.

I found of particular interest an exhibit detailing the movement toward separatism during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s. You’ll come away with a better understanding of how and why the Quebecois voted in 1988 to mandate French-only signs.

We then took a side trip north of the city about 20 miles to visit that bastion of frigid hospitality, the Ice Hotel. Instead of spending the evening, we opted for a tour that set us back $15 each. Some time in December, they start construction on the hotel, an engineering feat in itself. Using a combination of blown snow, sprayed water and blocks of ice, workers get it up and running by the beginning of January. If you have a pet penguin, they’d be happy in the pool. Rooms start at $179 per person, including breakfast. I was thinking the hotel is better suited for couples, with snuggling under fur blankets the most desired activity. For kids up to 12, however, the cost of a night’s lodging is $99, with the activity list including ice fishing, sledding and dog-sled running.

We were led through a hall built of solid ice, to a chapel with an ice crystal chandelier. It reminded me of being in a walk-in freezer, although a little warmer with the thermometer hovering around 24 F. The bar was noteworthy, a six-inch-solid slab with portals for vodka bottles bored into the ice. Shot glasses were square ice glasses. The whole experience kind of gives a new meaning to “just chilling at the bar.” There’s also a sauna and hot tub, pretty much the opposite of a poolside bar in the sunny Caribbean.

Another easy side trip would be to the Parc Mont-Sainte-Anne, a popular cross-country park as well as Quebec’s largest ski area, less than an hour’s drive to the northwest. After three nights in Quebec, we braced ourselves for the 10-hour drive back. We loaded up with some Canadian cheese and sweet confections for the kids at home. I must note there is a 7 percent federal tax and an 8 percent provincial tax, but you can apply for a refund for most of it if you keep copies of your receipts. The Canadian government will send you a rebate in a couple of weeks.

Other more luxurious purchases include authentic hand-chiseled Inuit stone sculptures (look for the official igloo trademark), hand-knit sweaters and hats. The Canadian dollar is stronger right now, basically on par with the U.S. dollar, so it’s not quite as affordable a trip as it was back when our buck gave us 15 percent more value a couple of years ago.

A working knowledge of French is certainly not mandatory, but I got the feeling you would enjoy visiting Quebec City even more if your French consisted of more than just “Parlez-vous Anglais?” It is tres important to use “bonjour,” “merci beaucoup” and other French phrases if you can. The people in the service industries were friendly enough, but there’s still some Canadian nationalist sentiment in regard to U.S. politics and our protective business practices.

Driving back was much easier in the mid-morning sunshine, as the country is mostly flat, treeless, prairie-like terrain.

Crossing the border back into the U.S. was quite laid-back compared to our prior interview by Canadian customs officer. I had expected the U.S. border officials to tear our van apart. They simply waved us through, however, after our customs declaration.

When planning a trip north, I suggest consulting a guide book. The Atheneum has several. Mary at Mitchell’s Book Corner recommends the Lonely Planet “Guide To Montreal and Quebec City,” saying it “gives you more history with a Bohemian flair.”

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